@....@.... @..@@@@@.@
.@...@@... @@.@....@@
@@@..@.@.. ..@@@...@.
@..@.@@@@. ..@..@..@@
.@.@@@...@ ..@@.@@.@.
.@@@..@..@ #...~~~~~~~~...# ..@.@@.@@@
@@..@.@@.@ ####.~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~.#### @.@@@.@@..
@.@.@@@.@@ #...~~~~~~~~...# .@@..@@.@.
@@@@@..@@. @@.@.@.@@@
.....@.@.@ ON EARTH (THE PLANET WHERE I LIVE) A ..@@@@@@..
.....@@@@@ LOT OF US HAVE ANTENNAS ON OUR HOUSES @.@.....@.
.....@.... OR BALCONIES, WE HAVE BUILT LARGE .@@@....@@
@....@@... ANTENNAS FOR LARGER BANDWITH, WE HAVE @@..@...@.
@@...@.@.. BUILD SPECIALIZED ANTENNAES FOR ..@.@@..@@
..@..@@@@. SPECIFIC WAVELENGTHS (AND SENT THEM ..@@@.@.@.
..@@.@...@ INTO ORBIT), WE'VE BUILT LARGE AS FUCK ..@..@@@@@
@.@.@@@..@ ANTENNA ARRAYS ..@@.@....
@@@@@..@.@ WE'VE VIRTUALLY BUILT AN ANTENNA WITH A ..@.@@@...
@....@.@@@ DISH AS LARGE AS EARTH. ..@@@..@..
@@...@@@.. ..@..@.@@.
@.@..@..@. WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT OUR POSITION IN THE ..@@.@@@.@
.@@@.@@.@@ SOLAR SYSTEM, OUR SOLAR SYSTEMS @.@.@@..@@
@@..@@.@@. PLACEMENT IN THE GALAXY, AND OUR .@@@@.@.@.
@.@.@.@@.@ GALAXYS PLACEMENT IN THE LOCAL CLUSTER, .@...@@@@@
.@@@@@@.@@ AND ~OUR~ LOCAL CLUSTERS PLACE IN THE @@@..@....
.@.....@@. GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS ...@.@@...
.@@....@.@ @..@@@.@..
.@.@...@@@ AND WE'RE MOVING AROUND THE SUN AT @@.@..@@@.
.@@@@..@.. VELOCITY AND THE SUNS MOVING AROUND THE ..@@@.@..@
@@...@.@@. CENTER OF THE GALAXY AT VELOCITY AND ..@..@@@.@
..@..@@@.@ THE GALAXY IS MOVING TOWARD ANDROMEDA @.@@.@..@@
@.@@.@..@@ AND WE'RE BOTH MOVING ANTICLOCKWISE @@@.@@@.@.
@@@.@@@.@. AROUND THE GALAXY. AND WE AS A SPECIES ...@@..@@@
...@@..@@@ HAVE LEARNED TO TAKE ALL THAT IN ACCOUNT ...@.@.@..
...@.@.@.. @..@@@@@@.
...@@@@@@. AND DESPITE ALL THIS, DESPITE ALL OUR .@.@.....@
@..@.....@ (CLICHE) BEAMING OF FUCKING STELLAR .@@@@....@
.@.@@....@ RADIO PROGRAMMES OUT IN FUCKING SPACE .@...@...@
@@@@.@...@ AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT (LIGHT IS OUR @@@..@@..@
....@@@..@ MEDIUM! GOODSPEED YOU, BLACK EMPEROR!), ...@.@.@.@
@...@..@.@ DESPITE GHOSTS HELPING AND THE @..@@@@@@@
.@..@@.@@@ COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS LOWPASS @@.@......
.@@.@.@@.. FILTERING, DESPITE OUR VERY OBVIOUS ..@@@.....
.@.@@@@.@. BEAMING OF ALL OUR SECRETS IN EVERY @.@..@....
.@@@...@@@ DIRECTION KNOWN TO US, .@@@.@@...
.@..@..@.. .@..@@.@..
.@@.@@.@@. NO . ONE . HAS . ANSWERED .@@.@.@@@.
.@.@@.@@.@ .@.@@@@..@
@@@@.@@.@@ #...~~~~~~~~...# @@@@...@.@
....@@.@@. ####.~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~.#### @...@..@@@
@...@.@@.@ #...~~~~~~~~...# @@..@@.@..
@@..@@@.@@ ..@.@.@@@.
@.@.@..@@. SO WHY IS THAT? @.@@@@@..@
.@@@@@.@.@ @@@....@.@
@@....@@@@ MOST OPPONENTS TO INTELLIGENT LIFE IN @..@...@@@
..@...@... THE UNIVERSE SAY IT'S BECAUSE YOU NEED @@.@@..@..
..@@..@@.. A CLASS ONE-OR-THE-OTHER STAR AND THE ..@@.@.@@.
..@.@.@.@. PLANET NEEDS TO BE AT A SEE-AND-SO @.@.@@@@.@
@.@@@@@@@@ DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE STAR (LIKE THERE .@@@@...@@
.@@....... HAS TO BE A PLANET!) .@...@..@.
.@.@...... @@@..@@.@@
@@@@@..... BUT REALLY ISN'T THAT KEEPING THE ...@.@.@@.
@....@.... DEFINITION OF LIFE REALLY LAX? @..@@@@@.@
.@...@@... @@.@....@@
@@@..@.@.. I THINK EVERYONE AGREES THAT WE HAVE NO ..@@@...@.
@..@.@@@@. IDEA WHAT WE'RE DOING (AND IT PROBABLY ..@..@..@@
.@.@@@...@ SHOWS) ..@@.@@.@.
.@@@..@..@ ..@.@@.@@@
@@..@.@@.@ #...~~~~~~~~...# @.@@@.@@..
@.@.@@@.@@ ####.~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~.#### .@@..@@.@.
@@@@@..@@. #...~~~~~~~~...# @@.@.@.@@@
.....@.@.@ ..@@@@@@..
.....@@@@@ I'M GONNA GO SMOKE MY THIRD CIGARETTE @.@.....@.
.....@.... THIS YEAR AND TRY TO SNATCH SOME BEERS .@@@....@@
@....@@... FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING @@..@...@.
@@...@.@.. ..@.@@..@@
..@..@@@@. ..@@@.@.@.
..@@.@...@ ..@..@@@@@
@.@.@@@..@ ..@@.@....
@@@@@..@.@ ..@.@@@...